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He returned faster than I expected. I hardly stepped into the room when he reappeared holding bags. “The women think this stuff will fit.”
“Thank you. I’ve never had so many pieces of clothing. The two outfits I brought and the one I wear with clients are about it for me.” I winced. I really didn’t want to talk about my former employment in the same hour that I’d been with Ransom, with his body deep within mine.
He drew me to him. “Are you struggling with talking about it in general or is it because you’re talking about it with me…who gave you such a hard time about it?”
It took me a moment to realize what he meant. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve worked through that. I think. Right? Don’t hold onto worrying about any awkwardness over things you said before you knew me. You didn’t say anything that wasn’t…”
He held up his hand. “Butterfly, please. Don’t tell me what I said was true, because I can assure you it wasn’t. Okay? What do you have to wear when you have to take abuse from Clarke and his associates?”
I lifted one shoulder, picturing the tiny nothing clothes, since it was little more than that. “It’s hardly an outfit at all. I’d rather not think about it. I wish I could pretend none of it ever happened, but obviously, I can’t. And…” I struggled to find the right words. “I’m so worried about what happened to the people who helped me. I’m being selfish, you get that, right? I’m going to stay here in your safe arms and not care about whatever repercussions they face on my behalf. What kind of human does that make me?”
His eyes flared with emotion. “If they can get women out and they’re not regularly doing it? If they’re not emptying Clarke’s bunks, where he kept all of you, then I don’t think they’re much better than Clarke to begin with. If I could, I’d grab Amias—obviously I can’t—and beg him to explain why I shouldn’t hate him for the role he played in helping the man.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held onto him. “Don’t be angry at him. Never at him. Okay? If not for him, then we wouldn’t have met, right?”
He put his forehead on my shoulder. “One thing you said was true. You’re going to stay here in my safe arms. I’m never letting you go.”
I loved the thought of that.
We walked together to Gator’s cabin, but I spotted no vehicles over the twenty minute or so walk. Maybe they didn’t have them, just shuttles or walking to take them places.
Ransom grinned at me, bumping my shoulder with his own. “I can feel you all over me. I’ll never be better than I am right now.”
My cheeks heated up, so I pulled his face down and kissed him as we walked. “The things you say. All the way out here, can they hear us above the bar?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “In general, we don’t share all that info or compare who hears better or sees better or whatever than who. In some ways, we’ll always be in competition to see who is strongest. But not within our group. That we know.” He smirked. “Obviously, I’m the strongest.”
I laughed, but a second later, he groaned. “I have just been challenged by all three of my brothers to see if I can live up to my claim.”
“Can you?”
He didn’t get to answer, as we arrived at Gator’s cabin, if I could call it that. They’d built themselves quite a house, unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Sure, it looked a little bit like a cabin, but it was really the biggest house that I’d ever seen. I stopped and stared at it.
Ransom laughed. “It’s impressive. Darkness had a real knack for carpentry. I’ll build you one, if you want. Anything to make you happy.”
“I’m not staring because I want it. I love our…sorry, your house over the bar.” I really did.
He whispered in my ear again. “I liked the our. It’s ours. If you ever change your mind, we’ll build you a house, though.”
A man I didn’t know stepped onto the porch to consider us with crossed arms. His white-blond hair flashed in the lightning from above as he leaned against one of the pillars. “You couldn’t build this house. Don’t flatter yourself, Ransom.”
My guy groaned. “Raven, meet Darkness.”
He went by Darkness with white-blond hair? I jarred at the dissonance but quickly recovered my manners and smiled. “Hi, I’m here to see Raine, if she’s available.”
He motioned toward the door with his chin. “She’s happy to see you. We’re glad you’re here. She’s only been here a few days, but we want her to stay. We all feel…well, that we’re supposed to take care of her and the baby. It is the right thing to do, and maybe it’s our way to make things better in the universe.”
Darkness sounded like Gator. He’d been all about redemption, too. I looked at Ransom, but I couldn’t tell from his expression what he thought about it.
“This way,” Darkness indicated, and Ransom nodded.
Just then, the sky opened up. In seconds, water soaked through every article of clothes and my hair dripped into my eyes. I laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. I couldn’t seem to stop getting wet on their planet.
Ransom scooped me up and we rushed to the door. Darkness grabbed two towels and handed them to us as we entered. “The weather this year. I thought it was Net, but no, it’s just nasty. The others are with Crew trying to figure out where all this tech is coming from, but I’m not leaving Raine or Kitty.”
“Is that the baby’s name? Kitty? I never remembered to ask Raine what she decided to name her.”
The blond Super Soldier nodded. “You were too busy delivering the baby, nearly dying, and still making sure she was okay, so you did your part. She named the baby two days ago, anyway. Kitty. Katherine, I guess, but Kitty is what she’s calling her. Come on.”
